Organize Foundation Types
Organize Foundation Types automatically standardizes the naming and type marks for all structural foundations in your Revit model. The tool processes foundation piers, round piers, rectangular footings, and pile caps—renaming them with consistent dimension-based names and assigning sequential type marks.
What is Organize Foundation Types?
This tool brings order to your foundation type library by:
- Standardizing names - Renames foundation types to show their actual dimensions in a consistent format
- Assigning type marks - Creates sequential marks like
P-1,F-3.0, orCAP-4.0for scheduling - Merging duplicates - Identifies foundation types with identical dimensions and consolidates them into a single type
The result is a clean, organized foundation schedule where every type has a clear, dimension-based name and a unique type mark.
When to Use
| Scenario | Why Use This Tool |
|---|---|
| Starting a new project | Establish consistent foundation naming from the beginning |
| After importing foundations | Clean up types brought in from linked models or other projects |
| Before creating schedules | Ensure all foundations have proper type marks for scheduling |
| Foundation types have inconsistent names | Standardize naming across the entire model |
| Duplicate types exist | Merge types that have the same dimensions but different names |
| Preparing for documentation | Create clean, professional foundation schedules |
Quick Start
- Open your Revit model containing structural foundations
- Click Organize Foundation Types on the DB Tools ribbon
- When prompted about overwriting existing type marks:
- Click Yes to regenerate all type marks from scratch
- Click No to keep existing marks and only process new types
- Review the results in your foundation schedule
User Interface
Ribbon Button
The Organize Foundation Types button is located on the DB Tools ribbon tab. Click it to run the tool on all foundation types in the current model.
Overwrite Prompt
When you run the tool, a dialog asks:
"Overwrite existing type marks?"
| Choice | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Yes | All foundation type marks are regenerated. Use this when you want completely fresh, sequential numbering. |
| No | Existing type marks are preserved. Only foundation types without marks receive new ones. Use this to add marks to new types without disturbing existing ones. |
Supported Foundation Types
The tool processes four categories of structural foundations:
| Foundation Type | Family Name | What Gets Processed |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangular Piers | Foundation Pier | All pier types with rectangular sections |
| Round Piers | Foundation Pier - Round | All pier types with circular sections |
| Rectangular Footings | Footing-Rectangular | All rectangular spread footings |
| Pile Caps | Pile Cap-Rectangular | All rectangular pile cap types |
Note: Foundation types using other family names will not be processed by this tool.
Naming Conventions
Each foundation type is renamed to clearly show its dimensions:
| Foundation Type | Naming Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Rectangular Pier | Width x Depth (Mark) |
2'-6"x2'-6" (P-1) |
| Round Pier | Diameter DIA. (Mark) |
2'-0" DIA. (RP-1) |
| Rectangular Footing | Width x Length x Thickness (Mark) |
3'-0"x3'-0"x1'-0" (F-3.0) |
| Pile Cap | Width x Length x Thickness (Mark) |
4'-0"x4'-0"x2'-0" (CAP-4.0) |
The type mark is included in parentheses at the end of each name, making it easy to identify types in the Project Browser and schedules.
Type Mark Format
Type marks follow a prefix-number pattern based on foundation category:
| Category | Prefix | Format | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rectangular Piers | P |
P-# |
P-1, P-2, P-3 |
| Round Piers | RP |
RP-# |
RP-1, RP-2, RP-3 |
| Rectangular Footings | F |
F-#.# |
F-3.0, F-3.1, F-3.2 |
| Pile Caps | CAP |
CAP-#.# |
CAP-4.0, CAP-4.1 |
Sorting Order
Type marks are assigned based on size:
- Piers - Sorted by section area (width × depth), smallest first
- Round Piers - Sorted by diameter, smallest first
- Footings and Pile Caps - Sorted by width, then length, then thickness
This means smaller foundations receive lower numbers, making it intuitive to understand relative sizes from the type mark alone.
Duplicate Merging
When the tool finds multiple foundation types with identical dimensions, it merges them:
- Identifies duplicates - Types with the same width, length, and thickness (or diameter for round piers)
- Keeps one type - The tool retains one type and transfers all instances to it
- Deletes extras - Redundant types are removed from the project
Example
Before running the tool:
Footing 1- 3'-0" × 3'-0" × 1'-0"Spread Footing A- 3'-0" × 3'-0" × 1'-0"Copy of Footing 1- 3'-0" × 3'-0" × 1'-0"
After running the tool:
3'-0"x3'-0"x1'-0" (F-3.0)- Contains all instances from the three original types
Workflows
Workflow 1: Clean Up an Existing Model
Goal: Standardize foundation naming in a model with inconsistent types.
- Save your model (recommended before any batch operation)
- Click Organize Foundation Types
- Click Yes to overwrite existing type marks
- Open a foundation schedule to verify the results
- Check the Project Browser to confirm types are renamed
Workflow 2: Add Type Marks to New Foundations Only
Goal: Assign marks to recently added foundation types without changing existing ones.
- Click Organize Foundation Types
- Click No to preserve existing type marks
- Only foundation types without marks will receive new ones
- Review the schedule to confirm new marks were assigned
Workflow 3: Prepare Foundations for Documentation
Goal: Create clean foundation schedules for construction documents.
- Run Organize Foundation Types with Yes to overwrite
- Create or update your foundation schedule
- Add the Type Mark field to the schedule
- Type marks will display as
P-1,F-3.0, etc. - Sort the schedule by Type Mark for organized output
Tips & Best Practices
- Run early in the project - Establishing consistent naming early prevents confusion later
- Use "Yes" for full cleanup - When inheriting a model or after major imports, regenerate all marks for consistency
- Use "No" for incremental updates - When adding a few new types to an established project, preserve existing marks
- Check schedules after running - Verify that all foundation types appear correctly in your schedules
- Coordinate with the team - Let team members know when you've reorganized types, as their views may update
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Some foundations weren't renamed | The family name doesn't match supported types | Check that foundations use the standard family names listed in Supported Foundation Types |
| Type marks appear out of order | You selected "No" to preserve existing marks | Run again with "Yes" to regenerate all marks in sequence |
| Duplicate types still exist | Types have slightly different dimensions | Check dimensions carefully—even 1/16" difference creates separate types |
| Foundation schedule is empty | Schedule filters may exclude renamed types | Update schedule filters to include the new type names |
| Instances moved unexpectedly | Duplicate types were merged | This is expected behavior—instances transfer to the kept type |
FAQ
Q: Will this tool modify placed foundation instances?
A: No. The tool only modifies foundation types (names and type marks). All placed instances remain in their locations unchanged. If duplicate types are merged, instances are reassigned to the remaining type but stay in place.
Q: What happens to foundation types I've customized?
A: Custom parameter values are preserved. Only the type name and type mark are modified.
Q: Can I undo the changes?
A: Yes. Use Revit's Undo command (Ctrl+Z) immediately after running the tool to revert all changes.
Q: Does this work with foundation families I've created?
A: Only if your custom families use the exact family names listed in Supported Foundation Types. Families with different names are not processed.
Q: How do I add a foundation type without disrupting existing marks?
A: Create your new foundation type, then run the tool and select "No" when prompted about overwriting. The new type will receive the next available mark.
Q: Why do footings use decimal marks (F-3.0) while piers use whole numbers (P-1)?
A: This is a convention to help distinguish foundation categories at a glance. The decimal format for footings and pile caps also allows for potential sub-numbering.
Q: Will linked model foundations be affected?
A: No. The tool only processes foundation types in the current active model. Linked models are not modified.